Day to Remember
by Sardixiis
Summary: Homecoming was supposed to be one of the best moments of your high school career. So how had it ended up like this? Jack and Henry centric, but includes the team, especially JJ and Hotch.
1. Chapter 1

**Day to Remember**

Author's Note: I had finally put the finishing touches on this story the night before when news of the school shooting at Chardon High School came out over my local radio station. Yeah, local. I don't live very far away from where this happened. I've got to say, it wasn't a very pleasant coincidence considering I'd just finished working on this story. No, this story was not inspired by the events on 2/27/12. I just wish that the Chardon shooting had a better ending.

And now something a little less depressing before I begin… I know that it's incredibly unlikely for the team to still be together in another 12 years, which is when this story is set. Given that fact, I had considered switching some of the characters, but I like the dynamic of the team too much to change anything, so I just left them alone. You'll just have to play along with my little improbably in that aspect. One chapter will go up per day instead of the two I did with my other story since this one is shorter and each chapter is almost twice as long.

* * *

><p><span>Chapter One<span>

Homecoming was supposed to be one of the best moments of your high school career.

So how had it ended up like this?

Henry LaMontagne squeezed his girlfriend, Adele's, hand reassuringly. She clung to his arm, eyes wide as saucers, an expression that most of the other high schoolers standing in the decorated school gymnasium mirrored. The entire room was dead silence except for the lone footsteps of one student at the front of the room. He'd made it known a few moments before that he was in charge.

None of the others dared to contradict him. It was impossible. Only someone who wanted to die would challenge or oppose a person with a gun.

Especially one who had already proven he could use it.

*0*0*0*0*

When Aaron Hotchner got the phone call the bottom of his stomach had nearly dropped out. He'd frozen, only hearing the rest of the call through a fog.

Yes, they would come.

Yes, they would be there as soon as they could.

Yes, his team could take the lead.

How could he say anything else?

When Hotch started to dial his first teammate's number, his fingers were trembling visibly. As the phone rang, he closed his eyes and tried to control his fears. If he panicked, the rest of the team would be unstable and edgy as well. He couldn't let that happen. Being Friday night, he wasn't sure what any of the others would be doing.

The one thing he did know is what they would all be doing shortly.

"Hey, Aaron," Dave Rossi, Hotch's close friend and fellow member of the BAU answered.

"Dave. Quantico High School."

"What? Isn't that where-" He was cut off rather quickly. Hotch didn't have time for questions.

"I'll call JJ. You call the rest of the team, Garcia included, and have them all meet there armed and protected immediately."

Dave didn't need to ask any questions now. While it was an odd order, he could hear the clipped and tense quality in his friend's voice. This was serious. He sent a silent prayer to God that whatever was happening didn't involve Jack. Hotch's seventeen year old son was a senior at Quantico High. Worse yet, Rossi was pretty sure it was homecoming weekend. Whatever the hell was happening, it was big.

Without another moment's hesitation, he started putting in calls to the rest of the BAU. Each of them was used to being called in on a weekend, and while none of them liked it, Rossi knew that there would be no hesitation from anyone to take on this case. This one, it seemed, was personal.

*0*0*0*0*

"Jennifer Jareau."

"JJ, I need you to stay calm and listen to me."

Hotch knew that, like Jack, Henry was also attending homecoming. JJ wouldn't take this any better than he had. While Hotch was normally perfectly capable of keeping anything he was feeling out of his voice and actions, even he wasn't sure he'd pulled it off completely this time. The terror filling him wasn't something he could hide from a person who knew him well. Still, Hotch did the best he could to speak professionally and controlled. He knew that the moment the words left his mouth, JJ would be feeling the same thing he was, like the floor had suddenly fallen out from beneath you.

"Hotch? What's going on?"

She'd felt a shiver of fear run up her spine at his words. He had never started a phone call like that before, and they'd had some bad ones.

"There's a gunman at Quantico High. Everyone at the dance is being held hostage. The rest of the team is on their way there. I'm coming to pick you up now, but only if you can handle it."

Anger quickly pushed away the numb fear filling her.

"He's my son, Hotch, but I'm a good enough agent to still be able to work this case," she growled. "Should I be asking you if you can work this?"

Hotch had expected that type of response; he'd simply asked on principle. At a different time, he might have let a small smile tug at his lips because of her answer. Not this time though.

"I'll be there in a few minutes. And JJ? We're going to get them out of this safely."

JJ didn't ask if he was talking about Jack and Henry or all of the students at the dance. It simply didn't matter. She'd done everything she could to keep the horrors of her job out of Henry's life since her son didn't need to know the full extent of the evil that existed in the world. She hadn't wanted him to even hear about it.

And now he was living it.

*0*0*0*0*

Henry nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt a vibration against his leg. Trying to make the movement as subtle as possible, he fumbled in his pocket for his cell. Hitting okay to unlock the phone, Henry held it low and out of sight as he glanced at the screen.

_Text Message – Mom_ showed clearly on the display.

He couldn't help feeling his heart soar in response. If anyone could get them out of this situation safely it was his mom and her team. A quick tap of the okay button revealed the message, which was short and straight to the point.

_Okay? Situation?_

Anyone else would have been confused, but Henry knew exactly what to respond. Not wanting to give away what he was doing, the teen started typing a response without looking. Thankfully he'd done it so many times before that it wasn't even difficult. The gym was crowded, and he might not be the only one secretly using his phone, but he didn't want to risk it. If the gunman somehow spotted him texting among the students in the back, things could go quickly from bad to worse. When the message was typed, he hit send.

_Fine. One. Gun._

He was fine, there was only one guy, and he had a gun.

That done, he switched the phone off vibrate and into full silent mode. As long as he kept checking he would still get the messages, and there would be no chance of the vibrating buzz alerting his captor. A second later another message came through.

_Name?_

Henry winced. Their captor wasn't someone from his grade. Seniors and sophomores didn't mix much outside of certain sports and maybe a class or two. Jack would know the guy's name, but he was way too far away to ask. In fact, Jack was right up front.

"Henry?" Adele asked, her voice shaky and barely above an audible whisper. She'd noticed Henry's sudden glance toward the front of the room after his short stint on his cell phone and the flash of unease that had followed soon after.

"It's okay." He paused. It was a long shot, but even if Adele didn't know it wouldn't hurt anything. "Do you know his name?"

"Why is that important?"

"It is. My mom wants to know. It'll help."

Adele glanced toward the front of the room and shuddered.

"Tucker Carbaugh. Nobody likes him. He's weird."

Henry nodded and worked at typing a response to his mother.

_Tucker Carbaugh. Senior. Outcast._

_Any hurt? Jack?_

_No. Shot at wall. Fine._

This time it took longer for another message to come through. Henry tapped his phone nervously against his leg. For some reason just talking to his mother like this helped keep him calm. There was no reasonable explanation for why in Henry's mind, but it did. The waiting for her to respond nearly had his heart in his throat. After what felt like ages to Henry, his phone finally displayed another message alert.

_Don't antagonize. Coming soon._

He'd wanted to ask her to hurry, but that would only make her worry. Instead, he just let her know that he understood.

_Kay._

Henry closed his eyes for a moment and tried to calm his nerves. Chances were his mother wasn't going to be in contact with him as often from now on. It wasn't a good thought, but he'd have to stay strong and deal with it. With any luck she would still send a message from time to time even if it was just to let him know that she was still there working on a solution.

He pulled Adele into his arms, holding her tight and trying to ease her own fears even with his still running high. It would all turn out okay. Help was on the way.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

When Hotch and JJ walked into the school which was surrounded by SWAT, they found almost the entire team already assembled and waiting.

"What do we know?" Rossi asked the local chief who was currently in charge.

"We heard one shot. Nobody can get in, and nobody has come out. We have no real idea what is going on in there or if anyone is hurt since there aren't any windows."

"Everyone's fine," JJ cut in, her voice steady and serious as she and Hotch joined the group. "He shot the wall, probably as a warning and to let them know he was serious. The unsub's name is Tucker Carbaugh. He's a senior here."

The others all stared at JJ in surprise, unsure how she had gotten all of this information. Prentiss, Reid, and Rossi were also surprised that their coworker seemed so calm. Unlike the police chief, they all knew her son was one of the students trapped inside. When JJ noticed their confusion she simply held up her cell phone.

"I was texting Henry on the way."

Emily reached out and squeezed JJ's arm in support. While her friend might not be showing it, Emily knew she had to be terrified. She was right. JJ might have appeared outwardly calm, but the deep worry lines on her forehead and constant, uneasy motion gave her away. Tense as a drawn bow, JJ wasn't even sure how she was managing to hold herself together.

"Have you made contact yet?" Hotch asked curtly.

He too was worried about his son. Like JJ, worry creased Hotch's face. The lines that had always graced his serious features had only deepened over the years, and were now deeper yet. He ran a hand through his gray touched hair, the only nervous tick he was outwardly displaying. His team might pick it up, but nobody else would.

"There isn't exactly a phone in the gym," Reid began. "The PA system is a possibility, but the problem is that he can't answer us through it."

"It would work for initial contact though," Rossi continued. "We could move to his cell then, if, of course, he's willing to pick up."

Hotch nodded, knowing that was probably their best option even though it wasn't perfect.

"Alright, let's get started on a profile."

Before they could get going, Morgan and Garcia walked in. Hotch took a quick moment to bring them both up to speed. Garcia's face blanched at the news, and Morgan just turned stony. Neither one could say anything.

"Garcia," Hotch directed. "I want everything there is to know about Tucker. Quickly. After that, see what you can find on the security cameras. Get Morgan to help if you need it."

Garcia and Morgan didn't question how Hotch knew the high school had security cameras. They just chalked it up to him being either an over protective parent or observant. In a way, it was probably both.

"Everyone else, let's start with what we know about school shooters."

"Typically there are three types," Reid began. "Traumatized, psychotic, and psychopathic."

"Traumatized shooters usually come from broken homes," Emily added.

"Psychotic and psychopathic killers don't," Rossi continued. "Psychotic shooters suffer from delusions, hallucinations, or mental illness, and psychopathic shooters are our sadists and narcissists."

"We need to figure out which one then," JJ said as she continued shifting her weight from foot to foot. It was the only way she knew of to get rid of the nervous energy without attracting too much attention to herself.

"Henry already told us Tucker is an outcast. That fits the profile. Typically school shooters are rejected by their peers and tend to be socially isolated," Hotch concluded.

"Angry outbursts and threats also fit," Morgan called out from his spot beside Garcia. "This kid's constantly in with the vice principal for behavior."

"Home life, Garcia?" Hotch asked.

"A mess, sir. Tucker's parents divorced when he was eleven. Both parents had visitation rights until Ryan Carbaugh was arrested for owning and using a sawed off shotgun. Apparently he got fed up with hearing his neighbor's dog barking. Tucker was thirteen when he started staying full time with his mom," the technical analyst explained as she continued to sift through Tucker's life.

"Traumatized then," Rossi concluded. He'd already started working on the best way to negotiate with that type.

"Ryan Carbaugh was released three years ago, Hotch," Morgan added. "We've got to assume his relationship reformed with his son, which is probably how Tucker got the gun."

"It seems like there have been a lot more school shootings than there used to be," Emily mused unhappily.

"Actually," Reid cut in, switching into full statistical genius mode, "school shootings increased in the 80s and early 90s. By the late 90s the number started to drop again. Currently there is an average of 9.3 per year, which equals out to one a month in a typical school year."

The others watched Reid evenly, having long ago gotten used to his facts. Morgan just shook his head at the news, not liking it at all.

"It's not really that many," Reid concluded.

"I'm not sure how one a month could not be that many, Reid," Morgan countered.

Reid, of course, had the perfect explanation.

"It's not if you consider how many shootings there are each month outside of schools. That number is -"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Garcia cut him off before he could give more details. "Put on the breaks boy wonder. I absolutely do not want to hear what is sure to be a disturbingly large number right now. Thanks, but no."

"Come on, Baby Girl, you see the truth of it everyday," Morgan soothed, "and that's only the ones where we don't know who did it."

Garcia looked up at him with a pleading and heartbreaking look in her eyes. She was thoroughly upset by this entire discussion.

"I can't think about all of those poor people who were killed, Derek. It's just too much, and I don't like it!"

Morgan reached out and squeezed her shoulder. He knew how much the horrors the team faced in each case could affect his spunky coworker.

"I know, doll face. I know."

"None of us like to see any innocent lives get cut short, especially kids," Emily told her friend with a gentle smile. "It's worse when so many young lives are lost all at once too."

"In reality," Reid piped up, "most school shootings don't result in a large number of casualties. Within the last two decades, there have only been three that ended in more than six lives lost: Columbine High School in '99 where 13 were killed, Red Lake Senior High in '05 where 8 were killed, and Virginia Tech in '07 where 32 were killed. We always think that school shootings end with numerous dead because those are the ones we remember."

"Then let's make sure that this doesn't end up as one of those," Rossi concluded.

Hotch nodded in agreement and started to give out assignments.

"Morgan, work on contacting Tucker's parents. See what you can get from both of them. Prentiss, Reid, I want you two to try and find a way into that gym. There have to be blueprints somewhere. Garcia, keep digging. Pass any information along to Rossi. Dave, JJ, and I are going to work on setting up some line of communication. Let's get to work."

*0*0*0*0*

Inside the gym, the air almost hummed with tension. Tucker hadn't said much after his warning shot besides ordering the other students to shut up and stay still. Jack Hotchner only stood a few feet from Tucker, his eyes narrowed in thought. While he wasn't a profiler, he was his father's son.

Jack had always been observant, and as he got older he'd started to pick up on some of his dad's tricks. At times he could even read the hidden emotions of his father. Reading Tucker Carbaugh's behavior was a piece of cake in comparison.

It only made Jack more worried though. He knew that Tucker was debating something within himself and that he was furious. Unfortunately, Jack had no idea what to do about it. Deciding to take a risk, one he hoped wasn't too big, Aaron Hotchner's son spoke up.

"Tucker?" Despite his fear, Jack's voice was steady.

"Shut up!" Tucker roared as he whirled toward Jack, gun lifted. "You don't have the right to say anything! Do you hear me? None of you do."

Jack held up his hands in a calming gesture. Despite Tucker's outburst, he refused to allow any fear to show on his face. He'd learned enough from his father's example that showing fear to a killer was not the best idea.

"This is all your fault. All of you who think you are so high and mighty!" Tucker added, getting more and more worked up as his tirade continued. "You think you're so much better than me, but you're not."

Tucker spun around again to focus on Jack only, eyes narrowed.

"You might be homecoming king, Hotchner, but you're not in charge here!"

A confused look crossed Jack's face. He never considered himself in charge of anything. Sure, he volunteered with various different groups and participated in a lot of school sports, but he'd never acted like a king. A leader when he needed to be, but not some ultimate ruler.

"Jack, what's he talking about?" Krista, his girlfriend and homecoming queen, asked as she clutched his elbow tightly. Her voice was trembling, and she was obviously terrified.

"I said, shut up!" Tucker screamed as he launched himself at Jack and Krista, hand raised to hit her.

Jack immediately pushed Krista behind him, protecting her. When Tucker's hand connected with Jack's face, the young man didn't even flinch. He watched Tucker with cold, determined eyes. There was no way in hell he would let this insane, gun wielding maniac hurt anyone if he could help it.

When Tucker saw that Jack didn't even seem bothered by the punch, his anger boiled up again. Once more he lashed out at Jack, only this time he didn't use only his fist. He used the gun too, pistol whipping Jack across the face.

"You think you're so good? You're nothing!"

Jack's head snapped to the side, and he staggered a few steps when the blow connected. A myriad of shrieks and cries arose from those standing nearby. Many of the students took massive steps backward, determined to put some distance between themselves and Tucker even if it meant leaving Jack out on his own.

"Shut up! I don't want to hear it!"

Slowly, Jack regained his balance and glared at Tucker in defiance despite the fact that blood was streaming down his face. He desperately wanted to ask if Tucker was done with his temper tantrum, but he bit his tongue instead. Antagonizing the other boy would only make things worse.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"Hotch!" Morgan growled as he came storming over to where his boss was setting up at the school's PA system. He held out a sheet of paper printed from the school's website, fire flashing in his eyes. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't think it made much difference," Hotch answered evenly after a quick glance at the paper in Morgan's hand.

"What is it?" Reid asked, the yelling having drawn his and Prentiss' attention.

"Jack was voted homecoming king," Morgan answered as he turned to show the printout with the announcement and Jack and Krista's pictures on it to Reid.

"So?" Reid asked, thoroughly confused about why this was so important.

"I know you probably never went to homecoming, Spence, but it's a big deal," JJ explained as she walked over to join them, cell phone still in her hand.

She hadn't stopped texting her son every once in awhile just to make sure he was okay. There weren't really any more details to share, but reading through his messages helped to calm her frayed nerves.

"But how's it related to the case," Reid asked again. He may not have attended homecoming when he was in high school, but that didn't mean he was foreign to the concept. The team's knowledge storage system just knew about it more from an academic perspective than a personal one.

"Where does the homecoming court always stand, Reid?" Morgan prodded.

At the other agent's blank look, Morgan continued. "At the front. And where is our shooter?"

The pieces clicked together in Reid's head, and he paled slightly. Hotch's son was likely right next to their unsub. While it didn't technically change any of the details of the case, it was enough to put even Reid a bit more on edge.

"We're set, Aaron," Rossi told the group. "Are you sure you want to be the one to do this?"

Hotch gave him a curt nod and headed toward the speaker system. He could still think rationally about this even with Jack inside. If he started to act like he couldn't, Hotch knew Rossi would take over in a second.

"Get someone a way inside, Dave. We need that."

Rossi nodded at the request and turned to Prentiss and Reid. He would make sure to keep an ear out just in case he needed to rein Hotch in though. Not that he was overly worried. While Hotch would do anything to protect his son, Dave knew that the man was strong enough to keep his emotions in check and make the best decisions for everyone involved in the case, his son included. Shifting his attention mostly away from the team's unit chief Rossi focused on the younger members of the BAU.

"Find anything?"

"Maybe," Prentiss confirmed. She pointed to a tiny square on the blueprint drawing spread on a table in front of her. The blueprints had been the main point of focus for both her and Reid ever since the team had split off to start their own jobs.

"It's a ventilation duct," Reid explained.

He too was pointing to a map in front of him. The two didn't look similar in Rossi's opinion, but he assumed that they were related somehow. Reid made the connection for him without needing to be asked.

"We're pretty sure these are the same vents. The gym is connected to the cafeteria through one of them."

Rossi frowned down at the maze-like drawing of ventilation and air ducts. He still didn't understand what either of the drawings was showing, but apparently Reid and Prentiss did. That was good enough for him. He would trust his life to the two agents, and right now he was entrusting something even more precious to them. Hotch's son. JJ's too.

"Big enough to send a person through?" he asked once he was finished examining the lines that apparently represented a possible way into the gym.

"Tight fit, but someone small could make it, I think," Reid confirmed.

"The problem is getting out," Emily continued. "It's back behind a corner near the lockers, so being seen isn't the issue. The problem is the vent there isn't on the ground. Reid's pretty sure it's a few feet up."

"A few?" Rossi asked, turning a speculative look at the team's resident genius.

"Six," Reid told him uneasily. "Ish."

Rossi cocked an eyebrow at the "ish," but he knew Reid had given him everything he could. Reid was always precise. If he had to give an estimate, it was because he didn't have enough information for anything more concrete. Instead, he moved on to what could possibly be another issue.

"I'm guessing it's not just a gaping hole in the wall either."

"Er, no…" Reid admitted. "It would be covered by some kind of metal grating which would allow air to flow through but no large objects to get past."

"Where's the one in here?" Rossi questioned as he glanced around. The way the vents were sealed would be the same in both rooms. As long as they found the one in the cafeteria, they could determine how to get it open and use that knowledge to open the one in the gym from the inside.

Emily glanced over the blueprint, trying to find the little square that represented the cafeteria's vent. She turned it once, lining the drawing up with the room they were standing it. That made it a lot easier to locate the vent in the actual room.

"This way," she told Rossi as she started heading toward the back corner.

While Rossi, Prentiss, and Reid were busy trying to determine a way into the gym, Morgan and Garcia were knee deep into their own jobs. Morgan hadn't gotten anything from Tucker's mom that they didn't already know. His dad had been unavailable on every line Morgan had tried so he was at a dead end.

"Make me a happy man and tell me you got something off those security videos, Momma."

Garcia hit one more key and spun around to face him, a beaming smile on her face.

"Honey, I could make you a happy man in more ways that just that."

"Oh I'm sure you could," Morgan laughed. Sometimes it amazed him how Garcia could keep up her usual bright banter in a situation as bad as the one they were currently in.

She shot him one last flirtatious smile before turning to point at the screen. Morgan shuffled over to join her and rested his hand on the back of her chair so he could peer over her shoulder.

"I found Tucker. Right here," she pointed at the screen again to indicate him among the various other students drifting in and out of the cafeteria from the gym and main doors. "I've followed him as much as I could since he arrived, but I've seen no evidence of a gun on him, and it doesn't look like he picked it up from a previous hiding spot in the building."

"Freeze it right there. Go back a bit."

Garcia did and glanced up at Morgan questioningly. She didn't see anything different about this frame, but apparently he did.

"Right there at his hip. He's hiding it further back than usual so no one could see it if his suit coat opened, but it's there."

"And you know that because you've suddenly developed some video-centric form of ESP?"

That caused Morgan to laugh and shake his head.

"No, Baby Girl, I just have enough experience to pick out the bulge of a concealed weapon pretty easily. I'll get Rossi up to date. You keep looking."

"Your wish is my command, oh experienced one!"

*0*0*0*0*

"Henry, I'm scared," Adele whispered.

She didn't know how much time had passed, but any amount of time was too long. Tucker had taken another go at Jack and Krista earlier. The increased violence was only terrifying Adele more. She knew Jack and his girlfriend since they had double dated with her and Henry more than once before. Adele had found that she really liked both of them.

"I know," Henry soothed. "But help is here. They just need some time."

"What about Jack?" she whimpered.

"He's stronger than you think. Trust me, I know Agent Hotchner, and Jack's a lot like him."

"You're sure?"

Before Henry could answer, the relative silence in the room was broken by a voice he knew well. He couldn't stop his heart from leaping into his throat in excitement. He'd been waiting for this. His mom and the rest of the team had finally made a move.

"_Tucker Carbaugh? My name is Aaron,"_ Hotch began, purposefully leaving his last name out. _"I work with the FBI."_

Jack kept his eyes locked on the ground when he heard his father's voice fill the room. Apparently his dad wanted to keep their relationship out of it, so Jack did his best to keep it that way. While it may not show on his face, he was incredibly relieved to know his dad was somewhere nearby.

Aaron Hotchner rarely let his son down, and Jack doubted he would start now. The consequences of doing that would be too heavy. Besides, Jack knew full well how good his dad was at his job. There was no way in hell Tucker was going to win this one. Jack allowed himself the smallest trace of a smile as he sat back and listened to the person he admired most work.

"_I was hoping I could talk to you,"_ Agent Hotchner continued after a pause long enough to let his words sink in. _"In a few minutes I'm going to call your phone, and I hope you'll pick up. The choice is yours. You have that power."_

He was playing into the team's profile by handing Tucker the control he wanted. All he could do now was hope it had worked. They would know in a few minutes.

*0*0*0*0*

PA system switched off, Hotch turned toward Garcia. She'd been working on the security footage the entire time and didn't seem to be giving up on it. Despite the fact that Garcia wasn't usually with the team, he knew he could always count on her to get the job done. Typically she got it done quicker and more in depth than he could have ever hoped for. Hotch had learned long ago to never take her for granted or underestimate her skills.

"Do you have the number?"

"What do you think?" she asked with a grin as she handed him a sticky note. "By the way, sir, I'm pretty sure my godson is right about Tucker. Not only does he have two amazingly talented godparents which should say enough about the accuracy of his observation, I haven't found any signs in the security tapes that he has a partner."

Hotch nodded as he took the number and quickly dialed. Not having a partner was good news. It meant they only had one unsub to deal with. Teams of school shooters were usually harder to talk down since they played off of each other, increasing the desire and bravery needed to actually shoot. Hotch couldn't help closing his eyes as the phone rang on. They needed to get through. When the ringing was replaced by silence and heavy breathing, Hotch opened his eyes again.

"Tucker?"

"_Yeah. What do you want?"_

"Just to talk."

"_Talk, huh? And what if I don't want to talk?"_

"I don't think that's the case, but if I'm wrong, I think you should know that talking might help you get what you want," Hotch continued, his voice still smooth and steady.

"_What I want?"_ Tucker asked uneasily, like he hadn't even thought about that.

"Yes, Tucker, what you want. If it's something I can do, I will try to get it to you."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line. When Tucker spoke again, he sounded furious and demanding.

"_It's not something you can just walk in here and hand me! I want them to remember! I want all of the idiots in here who think they're so high and mighty and important to see me! To remember who I am forever!"_

Back in the main office where the BAU had grouped, Emily glanced over at Morgan. Tucker had only been talking for a short time, but already she'd picked up on something to add to their profile.

"He doesn't really want to hurt anyone," she whispered.

Morgan nodded his agreement. "It's just a means to an end. Shooting isn't his goal."

That was good news. Even though Tucker had already proven he was willing to fire, there was a good chance this could be resolved peacefully. They were going to need to find a way to cool Tucker's flaring temper first though.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"We're set to send someone in through the air vents," Rossi informed their unit chief fifteen minutes later.

The entire team, minus JJ, was grouped together around Hotch, listening as Rossi began explaining their entrance plan. The former communications liaison was off to their left, slightly out of hearing range.

"We've come up with a way for the person inside to open the grate on the opposite end too. Whoever goes in has to be thin though. The vents aren't going to leave a lot of wiggle room."

"I'll go," Reid piped up. He knew he'd be able to fit without any problem.

"You're too tall, Reid," Morgan corrected. "It will be way too easy for our unsub to see you moving toward him once you get into the gym. We don't want to draw his attention, and you're tall even for an adult. Being a head higher than most of the students will make you stand out."

"Send JJ," Emily suggested. "She's shorter than Reid and thin, so she won't have any problem. Plus, as much as I hate to admit it, she could pass at a brief first glance in a crowd of teenagers better than I could."

The team's eyes all shifted over to where JJ was standing, her entire attention on her cell phone. She had still been keeping in touch with Henry the entire time the others worked. It was the only way for them to have "eyes" on the situation inside the gym. Plus, it kept her mind occupied on things besides her own horrific imagination.

"Can she handle it?" Morgan asked. He didn't doubt JJ's abilities as an agent. They had worked together for too long for him to see her as anything but the remarkable woman she was. However, JJ wasn't just an agent this time; she was the mother of a hostage.

"Hotch is handling it," Emily pointed out.

"But Hotch won't be able to see what's happening if Tucker goes after Jack or Henry. JJ would be able to see it. Could she keep her cool?" Morgan prodded, ignoring his boss' lifted eyebrow at being talked about while he was standing right there.

"She could," Reid assured, confident of his answer.

Personally, Hotch had to agree. JJ had proven that to him with her quick thinking on the ride over by trying to contact Henry. So far he hadn't seen anything in JJ's demeanor that displayed any inability to make the appropriate decisions. Rossi glanced at Hotch and saw the agreement in his eyes without needing to hear the words.

"If she agrees, we'll send her," Rossi confirmed as he caught JJ's attention and waved her over to explain their plan.

"Oh, my girl…" Garcia murmured sadly as her friend came to join the rest of the team. She didn't like the thought of any of her family walking right into danger, but JJ was even worse. The two of them had been best friends for a long time. Even so, Gracia knew that this needed to happen regardless of the risks. That didn't stop her from wishing there was another way though.

*0*0*0*0*

_Coming in. Don't be surprised._

Henry just stared at the message in confusion. What did his mom mean by that? How did she plan on getting in?

_What?_

_Air vent. Bye._

Again, Henry's brow furrowed in thought. As far as he could tell, there weren't any air vents. At least none that looked bigger than a shoebox. He trusted his mom though. If she said she was coming in, she was. He would just have to keep his eyes open.

"Adele," he whispered as he gave her arm a light squeeze, "if you see my mom, tell me, but don't make it obvious."

She turned toward him in confusion, tears glistening in her eyes. Henry just squeezed her arm again and nodded. He was glad she hadn't asked him how his mom was getting in since he really wasn't sure. Not being able to give her an answer he didn't have, he was sure she would only have become more scared.

"Trust me."

*0*0*0*0*

"_Take the next right,"_ JJ heard Reid say through her ear piece.

She continued through the vent, trying to make as little noise as possible. It wasn't easy in a tight space surrounded by metal, but she did her best despite the unhelpful location and her fear. The fact that she had her weapon at her hip and a vest securely strapped around her helped. They'd borrowed a blank vest from the local police so the huge, white block letters spelling FBI wouldn't stand out and gain unwanted attention once she reached the gym.

"How much longer, Reid?" she asked as she struggled through the turn.

"_Considering you're moving at a rate of about fifteen or twenty feet per minute and there are about 630 feet to go, probably…"_

JJ sighed, knowing Reid was doing a quick calculation in his head to answer her. It wouldn't help though since it wasn't what she was interested in.

"How about something a little less scientific?" she pleaded.

"_One more turn. A left in three. You should see the exit then."_

There. That was much better. She could actually gauge how much farther she had with that information. JJ breathed a sigh of relief. She would feel a lot better once she had a decent idea of what was going on inside. She trusted Hotch, even with her son's life, but they were running really blind. At least once she got inside they wouldn't be.

When JJ reached the grate she immediately pulled out the small L shaped metal tool Rossi had handed off to her before she went in. He'd explained how to use it, and she'd practiced on the grate in the cafeteria. This would be different though. At first she struggled to get the tool lined up on the screw and turning without being able to see what she was doing, but after a few attempts it got easier. Once it was loose enough, she unscrewed it the rest of the way by hand and set the screw down inside the vent.

After what felt like forever, the last screw loosened. JJ slipped her fingers through and slowly shifted the grate so it wouldn't make any noise as it rotated. She stared at the blank space in front of her a moment before whispering to the others that she was in.

JJ thought the hard part was over. At least until she looked down.

"Reid, I'm going to kill you."

It was not six feet down. More like seven. Maybe eight. This was going to hurt.

"Keep him occupied. This may not be quiet," she warned.

"_Got it,"_ Reid confirmed, having missed JJ's earlier comment regarding his future murder.

JJ swallowed hard and took a moment to prepare herself. She shimmied over to the edge, dropping her legs over. After a quick turn she managed to lower herself down, clinging to the edge of the vent. Even hanging like that her feet her dangling over a foot and a half off the ground. If she did this right, maybe she wouldn't do any serious damage.

Letting go, JJ plummeted the last few feet, trying to turn the landing into a side roll in the process. The second her body came to a stop, she knew it hadn't worked as well as she'd planned. Pain shot up from her ankle. Grimacing, but refusing to make a sound, JJ held the offending joint tightly, teeth clenched through the pain.

"Dammit."

After pushing aside most of the pain, JJ struggled to her feet and slowly tested how much weight she could put on her ankle. It definitely wasn't broken, but walking would hurt like hell, especially walking without a limp which she was going to need to do. Limping could easily give her away, and she couldn't risk that.

"What was that?" Tucker demanded, eyes darting around the room for the source of the thud. He had no chance of spotting JJ since the agent was still hidden behind the corner near the locker room.

"_I'm not sure, Tucker,"_ Aaron Hotchner soothed over the phone. He had to do everything he could to prevent Tucker from going in search of the source and finding JJ.

"_You have a room full of terrified students. It was probably one of them accidentally dropping something or the heating system clicking on again."_

A second small thud caught Tucker's attention, and he whipped around toward the source. Krista. Without really thinking, Tucker fired in panic. Luckily for Krista, Tucker was a bad shot and Jack had been ready to protect her. Unfortunately for Jack, he wasn't as lucky.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: No promises the last two chapters will be up in the mornings (my time) like they have been so far. I actually wound up having work for the rest of the week. I'll try to find time to get them up before I go, but if not you'll just have to wait until I get home.<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

The scream reverberating over the phone froze Hotch in his tracks. He knew that voice. Jack.

No.

His mind was racing with the huge list of possibilities. Hotch struggled to hold them back. It wouldn't do him any good to panic or start thinking about the worst. Like with other cases, he had to assume his son was alive until he got proof otherwise. Right now he had to push Jack out of the front of his mind, no matter how hard that was, and concentrate on Tucker. Struggling to pull himself together, Hotch took a few seconds to be sure his voice would be under control when he spoke.

"Tucker? What happened? Can you tell me what happened?"

"_Oh God. I didn't… I… he… it was his fault!"_

Hotch took another deep breath, unwilling to let any stray emotions slip through.

"Is he alive, Tucker?"

"_Yes, but what does that matter?"_

Some of the tension left Hotch's body at the news. Jack was alive. Determination flooded through him again. He was going to talk this kid down.

*0*0*0*0*

At the sound of the gunshot and Jack's scream JJ stopped her approach. She stayed completely still, holding her breath and mentally crossing her fingers until she heard Jack moan. He was alright. For now. JJ continued forward, gun at the ready. As she headed toward the front of the room, she couldn't help searching for Henry.

When JJ spotted him mixed in on the edge of the crowd, a storm of emotions hit her. Joy at seeing him again, unhurt. Longing to take him into her arms and keep him safe. Fear that in the next few moments she could lose him. Deep, sickening sadness that if things went wrong this could be the last time she laid eyes on him. JJ wouldn't allow any of that to show on her face or prevent her from doing her job. There was work to be done first.

Henry had spotted his mother as well, and his eyes locked with hers. JJ gave him a small nod and a finger to her lips to keep him quiet before moving on again. She was too far back to do anything yet.

*0*0*0*0*

"_If he dies, you know what will happen, right, Tucker? You'll go to jail for life,"_ Hotch warned. _"You can still get out of this. You can still let them go. Everyone there will be in your debt. You would be the one to save their lives."_

"Or I could just kill some of them to really prove my point. They'll never forget then."

"_You could make that choice, Tucker, but it won't work out that easily. Not if people die."_

"You don't know anything!" Tucker growled as he started pacing, eyes sweeping back and forth.

Tucker was obviously agitated, but nothing Hotch tried seemed to calm him. Hotch wasn't even sure Tucker could hear him beyond the words going in one ear and out the other, but he wasn't giving up. They would find a way.

Henry watched Tucker pace, saw him eyeing everyone. His mom was still moving forward, but if this kept up, Tucker would spot her and it would be over. At first Henry didn't know what to do, and he was running out of time. The second Tucker's attention turned toward the side of the room his mom was on, Henry knew he had to do something before she was spotted. That something had to happen now.

"Sounds like he knows more than you do, Tucker!" Henry shouted before he could stop himself.

All eyes in the room immediately snapped toward Henry in stunned shock, JJ's included.

What was he doing?

Her breath hitched and she remained completely still. JJ knew what she had to do, but she couldn't bring herself to take her eyes off Henry. Her son was standing there yelling at a gunman with a look of determination on his face. Terrified determination, but determination none the less. She needed to focus too.

Henry shrugged, trying not to show how much he was regretting this. "I'm just saying."

His plan had worked. Tucker's attention was glued on him, and, even better, he hadn't been shot in response. Hopefully his mother would see that.

JJ did. Bottling her terror up deep inside of her, she continued on again. It wouldn't take her too much longer to reach Tucker.

_Stay safe, Henry. Please._

"Why shouldn't I shoot you right now?" Tucker growled. "Make you an example that everyone here will remember?"

Henry swallowed hard, trying to keep himself from trembling. From the hatred filling Tucker's eyes getting shot was still a very real possibility. He couldn't deny that he was scared, but Tucker didn't know that. If he was going to die here it wouldn't be as a coward. Not in front of Adele. Not in front of Jack. Definitely not in front of his mom. He'd stay strong no matter what happened. His mother's voice suddenly broke into his thoughts, but she wasn't talking to him.

"Because they won't remember then," JJ warned, gun leveled at Tucker. She'd finally gotten close enough to act.

Tuckers eyes snapped onto her, his weapon focused on her as well. He looked completely shocked, like JJ had just appeared out of thin air.

"How did you…? Who the hell are you?"

"Jennifer Jareau. I work for the FBI." She wasn't worried about sharing her last name with Tucker. He wouldn't recognize it. "I've spoken to survivors of school shootings before."

"_Listen to her, Tucker,"_ Hotch's voice drifted across the phone in hopes of assuring Tucker that JJ wasn't making things up.

"I've seen them. Spoken to them. When someone dies, Tucker, the survivors don't want to remember. They do everything they can to forget. That's not what you want, right?"

"No! No! They couldn't do that," Tucker growled, disturbed at this news.

"Yes, they can. They won't remember this way. If you want them to remember you have to give them something good to hold onto. People always want to remember the good."

JJ could see she was getting through. Tucker didn't seem as tense, and his eyes remained on her. He was listening, considering.

"_Death ruins everything good, Tucker,"_ Hotch warned.

Tucker jumped at the sound of the other profiler's voice, his eyes darting to the phone and back to JJ again. While Tucker's attention was on Hotch, JJ took the time to get a better understanding of the situation with Jack. Her boss' son was crouched on the ground, basically alone. The rest of the students had backed up a good distance from him. Blood was dripping down Jack's face, and he clung to his left arm. JJ assumed that was where he'd been shot. Considering there were no other students on the ground, she figured that the shot either hadn't been a through and through or it had hit the ground after impacting with Jack.

Like his father, Jack barely let how much pain he was in show through. He wasn't as good as Hotch yet, so JJ could easily see past his brave expression. Jack was hurting.

"You're wrong!" Tucker insisted.

Pulling her attention back to Tucker again, JJ spoke up, "I wish he was, but he's telling you the truth."

JJ saw a true flash of fear spark in Tucker's eyes. She played to it without a second's hesitation.

"It's a scary thing to be rejected. To be forgotten. Nobody wants that. We all want someone to tell us that we matter."

The profiler had slipped into her "mother" voice just as she had years earlier in her first negotiation with Billy Flynn.

"Right now, Tucker, you can matter to them. You can be the reason why they walk out of here alive. You want to matter to someone, don't you?"

Tucker swallowed hard and nodded jerkily. He did want to matter, and nobody had ever cared that he even existed before.

"You can matter to so many people today," JJ assured.

"_Two hundred eighty six,"_ Reid supplied through her headset. Of course he would know the exact number of people trapped in the gym.

"Most people only get to matter to a few others. Ten if they're lucky. But you, you have a chance to influence far more than that. You can show over 280 people that you matter. That you're worth remembering."

Tucker still hadn't taken his eyes off of JJ. She saw her moment and slowly held out her hand before continuing just as gently.

"All you need to do is hand me the gun."

He wavered, gun poised between them.

Slowly, JJ returned her own weapon to the holster at her hip. She was pretty sure he would feel more comfortable this way. With any luck she would be right.

*0*0*0*0*

Unlike the other students, Henry hadn't backed up. He'd found himself a stop where he could see what was going on, and he really didn't like what he was seeing. His mom had lost it.

"What is she doing?" he demanded, mostly to himself.

"I don't know," Adele whispered back. While she hadn't wanted to get closer, she hadn't been willing to let go of her boyfriend more.

"Mom, don't be an idiot. Take your gun out again. Come on. You're going to get yourself killed."

Henry's hands clenched and unclenched nervously. He knew that on any job his mother could be shot and killed. It wasn't unknown to him. The knowledge had always made him uneasy, and he'd treasured every moment he had with her as a result. Seeing it so close and realizing that this could very well be the end was different. He didn't feel uneasy. He felt petrified.

*0*0*0*0*

"Just hand me the gun and everyone here lives the rest of their lives knowing you saved them. You did," JJ continued.

She saw a tear trickle down Tucker's face and knew immediately that she'd won. A moment later the gun was resting her in hand. She placed her other on his arm and smiled gently.

"It's going to be okay now," she assured before turning toward the main doors and calling out, "Clear."

The rest of the team and SWAT spread into the room through the now open gym doors, their weapons drawn. Apparently they had all been given their orders because everyone headed off to their own tasks without any verbal directions being given.

Morgan was immediately at JJ's side and took charge of Tucker. Emily and Rossi were coordinating the evacuation of the homecoming attendees with SWAT. Reid joined JJ, his eyes filled with concern.

"Are you okay?"

JJ nodded, trying not to wince when she shifted the weight off her injured ankle. There wasn't a huge reason to hide it anymore, but she didn't want the others worrying about her. When Reid didn't seem convinced, JJ gave him a reassuring smile.

"It's just my ankle, Reid. Nothing serious."

"Probably an inversion sprain. They're much more common than an eversion one at a ratio of 9 to 1."

JJ shook her head, mildly amused at Reid's slightly out of place statistic. Apparently he didn't need to be a medical doctor to give her a diagnosis. Really, she shouldn't have expected anything less.

After giving her friend's arm a brief squeeze, JJ hobbled past him to reach her son.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Last chapter comes tomorrow!<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

While the others had gotten to work, Hotch had moved directly to his son. He knew the young man had been hurt, so he'd prepared himself for what he would find. Unfortunately, it hadn't stopped the bottom of his stomach from falling out or his heart from clenching painfully when he saw Jack.

"Jack…"

Hotch's son smiled a bit wobbly up at his dad. The pain was becoming clearly visible beneath the mask Jack had tried to keep in place.

"Hi, dad."

Agent Hotchner nearly sagged in relief at Jack's light hearted greeting, his own well controlled exterior cracking. He knelt down and started methodically checking Jack's injuries. Doing it was routine and helped him replace his own solidity. The facial cuts weren't too bad and probably wouldn't need stitches, though they would definitely bruise. Hotch turned to his son's arm, gently peeling Jack's fingers away. He felt Jack wince beneath his touch and continue shaking slightly. Possible shock. In fact, Hotch wouldn't be surprised if that was exactly what it was.

"Jack, I need you to focus on me, alright?"

At Jack's nod, Hotch searched the room for his closest agent.

"Prentiss! Get me a medic!"

Emily's head whipped toward him. She gave her boss a curt nod and rushed for the door. Once he knew medical help was on the way, Hotch returned to his son's injury. He'd managed to roll the sleeves of Jack's suit up and found the bullet had impacted Jack's bicep and lodged there. It wasn't bleeding profusely, but Hotch wanted it stemmed completely.

"Mr. Hotchner?" Krista asked tentatively, her face ghost white from fear. "Will he be okay?"

Hotch glanced up from his son's arm and watched her intently for a moment before nodding. She still looked like she was too afraid to leave the safety of the other students and move closer to where Tucker had been, which was where Jack was now.

"He'll be fine, Krista. I'll make sure of it."

He nodded to Rossi who was standing nearby, slowly directing students out of the main doors. Rossi caught Hotch's eye and immediately understood what his friend wanted of him. After sending a few more students out the door, he started toward Hotch.

"You go with Agent Rossi and leave Jack to me," Hotch told his son's girlfriend.

Krista nodded, reassured by Hotch's calm conviction and Jack's wobbly smile, and hurried toward Rossi. Knowing Krista was in good hands, Hotch turned his attention back to his son straight away.

"Dad?" Jack whispered when he felt his father firmly close his hands over the bullet wound to apply pressure. "I'm sorry."

Hotch's eyes lifted to meet Jack's, his expression hard and unreadable. Jack continued.

"For making you worry."

The tide of emotions inside of Hotch broke free. He was so proud of his son, yet sickened Jack had to experience any of this. It never should have happened, and yet… what Jack had done was more than he saw from some agents. He'd stood up to a classmate with a gun while remaining calm and in control. He'd protected his girlfriend, and what was more, he'd taken a bullet for her. Jack's behavior and strength of will had set the tone for the other students. He had taken most of the heat and not panicked. How could the others not do the same?

Hotch reached up and placed a hand on his son's shoulder while firmly meeting Jack's eyes.

"I am so proud of you, Jack. What you did in here, in the situation you were in, it's amazing. It's what I would expect from some of my best agents. You're not an agent, and you're only seventeen."

He smiled openly at his son, the deep honesty of his words shining through the smile and ringing in the tone of his voice.

"You better be proud of yourself because I don't think there's been one moment in my life where I've been prouder to be your father."

A single tear slipped down Jack's face and the soft sob that escaped was quickly turned into a laugh. It wasn't like Jack to cry, but what his father had said really hit him hard and meant the world to him. Jack wrapped his good around his dad, pulling him into a hug. He could feel his father give him a few solid claps on the back before pulling away.

"I'm really proud you're my dad, too."

Hotch smiled warmly and nodded to his son before glancing at the medics who had just arrived. He turned back to Jack and squeezed his shoulder once more. There was no way he was ever going to forget this moment.

"Let's get you taken care of."

*0*0*0*0*

"You're hurt!" Henry cried out when he saw his mom limping toward him. She'd apparently been hiding it the whole time and even now was refusing his godfather's offer of support.

"And why don't you have any shoes on?" he added.

JJ just gave him a calm, reassuring smile like it wasn't a big deal. And it wasn't.

One sprained ankle for the lives of over 280 students, her son's and boss' son's included, was a good deal in her book. She could hardly have asked for better.

Henry rushed to her side, refusing to allow her to hobble the extra few feet to him. JJ reached out for him, doing her best to hold back tears. He didn't need to see her cry even if it was just in relief. Instead she focused on some of her anger at him.

"You stupid, reckless kid!" JJ growled before she threw her arms around Henry's neck. It was incredibly awkward since he was over a head taller than she was without heels on. Henry took pity on his mom and bent down closer so she didn't have to be quite so high up on her tip toes.

"God," JJ continued when she finally released him. "I can't believe you purposefully tried to piss him off!"

Henry blushed and looked away. He knew she wasn't really mad at him. At least not really he hoped.

"I couldn't let him spot you."

"I'm the one who's supposed to be protecting you! You could have been killed!" JJ countered, putting quite a bit of emphasis on the last word.

"So could you," Henry answered matter-of-factly.

"Of all the foolish, stubborn, idiotic, _brave_ things you could have done…"

Tears glistened in JJ's eyes. She could never be truly angry at him for this. He had made her so proud of him. JJ couldn't even put it into words. If Henry hadn't said something when he had, Tucker would have seen her. JJ knew that. She had absolutely no doubt that she would have been shot on the spot the second that happened, and Tucker would have killed her. Henry had saved her life. Her little boy had stepped right up into the face of danger for her, and she could never have asked that of him. He'd made the choice all on his own and gone above and beyond anything she'd ever hoped to see from him. It was incredible.

While she knew what Henry felt about any displays of maternal affection around his friends, JJ couldn't resist catching Henry's face between her hands and pulling him down so she could plant a gentle kiss on his forehead.

"When did you grow up so much?" she whispered, pride and a touch of sadness sparkling in her eyes and voice.

Henry just smiled and shrugged again.

"I had a good teacher."

JJ sniffed and ran a hand quickly over her eyes to wipe away any wayward tears before they fell. She was just so proud of this young man standing in front of her, because a young man he was.

"I love you, Henry, and I'm so very proud of you."

Henry smiled sheepishly, a twinkle in his eyes as he teased back. "Even if you think I'm an idiot?"

JJ swatted her son's arm, tears glittering in her eyes again. She knew he was teasing her.

"Of course. Always."

"Love you too, Mom, even if sometimes I think you're an idiot too. I mean, putting your gun away when his was still trained on you? Come on!"

"I would like to think I still know what to do in that type of situation better than you do," JJ reminded with a smile.

Henry beamed back at her. Before long he, JJ, and Reid were chuckling softly. The laughter died soon enough, mother and son taking a moment to watch each other again. Everything was alright now.

Reid gave his godson's arm a squeeze, showing the young man how proud he was too without a word.

Adele slipped out from around Henry, tears pouring down her face, and tossed herself into JJ's arms. JJ wobbled at first but quickly regained her balance and offered her son's girlfriend the comfort she needed. A moment later JJ felt a hand touch her shoulder and glanced behind her.

"I'll take her, Jayje," Emily promised. "You should go get checked out."

JJ nodded and helped Emily gently peel Adele away. She turned back to Henry who was watching her determinedly.

"What?" she demanded.

"I'm taking you to see the paramedics, and you're going to let me and Uncle Spencer help you get there." It was said in a very no nonsense, no questions asked type of voice.

JJ sighed. "Okay."

Henry's eyes widened in surprise at his mom's easy acceptance and slipped his arm around her to take most of her weight before she could change her mind. As they were walking slowly toward where the medics were finishing with Jack, Henry couldn't help his curiosity. He had to ask.

"Really, why don't you have shoes on?"

JJ glanced up at him and smiled brightly.

"Shoes make noise. It's much quieter to walk barefoot. I couldn't let myself get spotted early and force my son to play hero now could I?"

Henry's face blushed to a deep red. She had to be teasing him about the whole "hero" thing, right?

Right?

* * *

><p>Author's Note: And there you have it! The end! Of course it's not the end of me writing. I've got another story already set to go, though it's SVU and not Criminal Minds this time. Never fear though, I'm already starting to write an SVU and Criminal Minds crossover and have some other ideas in mind for later stories too.<p> 


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